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Happy Haunting: Tips and Tricks for Halloween Fun

By: Katie

Halloween is coming up—the favorite holiday of ghouls, ghosts, and kids alike! All of us at Udi’s love Halloween, especially when it’s safe and full of yummy gluten free treats. Read on for some safety tips and tricks, gluten free candy guidelines, and a few fun recipes.

How to keep your little ghosts and goblins safe:

Plan your route in advance, and stay in familiar areas. If your town has a curfew for trick-or-treating, stick to those designated times.

Go trick-or-treating in a group and, especially for younger children, always have a responsible adult present.

Use flashlights—it can be dark out there!

Use reflective tape on costumes and bags to make it easier for drivers to see you.

Do not enter a stranger’s home, and only stop at well-lit houses.

Be careful of candles on walkways or in jack-o-lanterns and wear flame-resistant costumes.

Avoid masks that can block your vision, and use flexible props, like swords or staffs. Also stay away from long costumes that can get caught on things or trip someone.

And last but definitely not least, always check your child’s candy before they eat it! Only let them eat factory-wrapped treats, rather than homemade, and make sure you screen the candy for gluten content.

Gluten Free Halloween Candy Guide:

Halloween can be a scary time for parents of kids with Celiac Disease or other food allergies. To avoid your child getting sick make sure to thoroughly check their candy stock for any possible contamination. To help you get started, here’s a great list of Gluten Free Halloween Candy. However, when in doubt, always make sure to read the candy’s ingredient labels or check the manufacturer’s website.

To avoid any Halloween catastrophes, it may be a good idea to keep a (well-hidden) stock of gluten-free candy in your pantry, just in case your child’s trick-or-treating loot is largely uneatable. However, try to be sneaky about adding these to their bags since their own hard-earned Halloween candy is WAY more exciting than the regular ol’ candy you have at home!

In a separate bowl, crumble the brownie bites into small pieces. If you wish to make finer-textured “dirt,” use a food processor to mince the brownie bites into small crumbs. Leave 1-2 crumbled brownie bites for topping.

Add 1 tablespoon chocolate fudge to whipped cream and mix. Fold in brownie bite crumbs, being careful not to over-mix.

To assemble sundae:

In a parfait glass, pour in 1-2 tablespoons of hot chocolate fudge, then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Pour 1-2 tablespoons chocolate fudge over ice cream, add a dollop or two of Mud. Repeat for one more layer.

Top with Mud, some crumbled brownie bites, and then arrange the gummy worms and bugs so they look like they’re crawling out of the ground.

Arrange sundaes on a tray draped with white cheesecloth and mini cauldrons full of dry ice for a really spooky effect!

Caramel Apple Dip

1 package cream cheese

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup marshmallow fluff (crème)

Brown sugar for crust and mini chef blowtorch (optional)

Caramel sauce topping (gluten free)

3-4 Granny Smith apples, sliced

To make dip:

Add softened cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer on medium-low speed, slowly mix in dark brown sugar and vanilla extract. Fold in marshmallow fluff. Scoop into bowl, smoothing the top of the dip.

Optional Step: after smoothing the dip, sprinkle brown sugar in a thin layer over the top. Using the chef blowtorch on the low setting, crystallize the brown sugar into a thin crust.

Drizzle caramel sauce over the top, and arrange apple slices on a plate around the dip.

Enjoy!

How are you making sure your Halloween is a gluten-free good time?

One Response to “Happy Haunting: Tips and Tricks for Halloween Fun”

A good way to sneak GF candy (atleast as an older sister) is to prepack my own bag with plenty of GF options for my little brother. Then, if he wants to snack on the way, I have something I know is safe. Whatever is left over, I trade him for his unsafe candy. Trading is half the fun anyways.